A new bill in the California Senate would scrap state income taxes for teachers in the state, as part of an effort to combat a growing teacher shortage and to encourage higher-aptitude individuals to enter the profession.

“The teaching profession is critical to California’s economic success and impacts every vocation and profession in the state,” state Sen. Henry Stern said in a statement. “SB807 addresses the immediate teacher shortage and sends a loud and clear message across the state and nation: California values teachers.”

Senate Bill 807 would exempt teachers from paying state income tax after teaching for five years and would also provide a tax deduction for costs relating to obtaining credentials.

It comes at a time when California is scrambling to hire teachers, as between 20 percent to 40 percent of teachers leave the profession after the first five years, according to recent research, and the amount of teachers is at a 12-year low.

But critics say it’s an impractical solution to combating the problem of poor-performing schools.

“If you take an entire class of people based on their occupation and say that they are somehow ‘more deserving’ than everyone else and should be exempted from paying state income taxes, what other groups might qualify?” conservative commentator Jazz Shaw, writing for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, argued.

The bill comes at a time when proficiency rates among California students still are under 50 percent, as 49 percent in English and just 37 percent in math scored proficient on CAASP tests in 2016, with minority students scoring even lower.

It’s also unclear what effect the bill would have, as opponents have noted it appears to be a measure to provide monies to veteran teachers, where retention is less of an issue, at the expense of the taxpayer.

Furthermore, the starting salaries at even small high schools stands near $44,000, just slightly less than the median household income in the U.S., which stands at around $50,000.

If teachers are exempt from paying income tax, is raises the question of what other occupations may qualify due to their perceived importance in society.

Details on the effect on tax revenues have not been released and the California Teacher Association has so far not taken a position on the proposed legislation.

Yeah force all teachers to belong to the NEA or some Union in order to be able to teach the kids just like all liberal demacrats want. Californias become a laghingstock of the entire 50 states and run by Moonbeam Brown a total disfuntional fool and the DUMB-O-CRATS with no sign of ever improving

I’m sure this only applies to the teachers who work at the government schools.

And I’m sure once that goes into effect the teachers unions will be all for jacking up the highest state income tax in the nation.

I bet it passes and then I bet every state and local government employee union will demand the same thing. The cry will go out, “These government employees are heroes.” And of course this income tax exemption is “for the children.”

While their pensions are massively underfunded the idiots in Sucramento are going to exempt teachers from income tax.

This state is run by corrupt, criminal idiots.

Well, I hope the politicians do it. Make all government employees exempt from ALL taxes. And I hope the politicians vote themselves in on that deal. (The same way they vote themselves raises.)

Maybe then the tax paying sheep will wake up and realize the government is not their friend and that those in government really are a different class.

Teachers are important. How else are we to educate the hordes of illegal aliens that we feed, clothe, house and give money to? The level of idiocy that California Dims display is higher than I previously believed.

Yes of course exempt Public school teachers from state income tax so we can have more of liberal ideology teaching our kids that Islam is a religion of peace, tax cuts only help the rich, guns are evil Republicans want to take away grannies social security and have her eat dog food, and have protests against President. Trump our service members and veterans.
Oh yes and put more IDIOTS like Nancy Pelosi and Di Fi in our government!

When the inmates are running the asylum things just get crazier and crazier, spinning faster and faster, until…..
After the teachers get state income tax-exempt status, of course the public safety employee unions will start demanding “equity”, and we all know liberals are obsessed with two things: identity and equity.
After public safety gets tax exemption, the franchise will be extended to ALL state and local government employees. I PREDICT!